Orangefield coach Josh Smalley was born and raised a Bridge City fan and actually played football there. Smalley ends his first season as head coach playing Bridge City this Friday, November 9, 2012, to determine who moves on to the playoffs.
Photo taken:
Randy Edwards/The Enterprise less

Orangefield coach Josh Smalley was born and raised a Bridge City fan and actually played football there. Smalley ends his first season as head coach playing Bridge City this Friday, November 9, 2012, to ... more

Photo: Randy Edwards

Image 2 of 4

Orangefield coach Josh Smalley was born and raised a Bridge City fan and actually played football there. Smalley ends his first season as head coach playing Bridge City this Friday, November 9, 2012, to determine who moves on to the playoffs.
Photo taken:
Randy Edwards/The Enterprise less

Orangefield coach Josh Smalley was born and raised a Bridge City fan and actually played football there. Smalley ends his first season as head coach playing Bridge City this Friday, November 9, 2012, to ... more

Image 3 of 4

Orangefield coach Josh Smalley was born and raised a Bridge City fan and actually played football there. Smalley ends his first season as head coach playing Bridge City this Friday, November 9, 2012, to determine who moves on to the playoffs.
Photo taken:
Randy Edwards/The Enterprise less

Orangefield coach Josh Smalley was born and raised a Bridge City fan and actually played football there. Smalley ends his first season as head coach playing Bridge City this Friday, November 9, 2012, to ... more

Image 4 of 4

Orangefield coach faces former school with playoff spot at stake

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Josh Smalley's past is tucked away, stuffed in a box somewhere in his house.

About three months ago, he packed it with the rest of his life in Bridge City and moved to enemy territory a few blocks away in Orangefield, where he is the Bobcats he football coach.

Friday he will leave his new home, where that box with his old Bridge City game jersey, letterman jacket and silver UIL medal are stored, and try to keep his alma mater from the playoffs in the 13th Bayou Bowl at Larry Ward Memorial Stadium.

Friday's rivalry game, which kicks off at 7 p.m., acts as a one-game playoff to determine who captures

District 21-3A's third and final postseason spot between the Cardinals (4-5, 3-2 District 21-3A) and Bobcats (4-5, 3-2).

However, the eight miles that separate these two high schools is lengthened for Smalley, who was born and raised in Bridge City, was the Cardinals' quarterback in high school and served as the school's offensive coordinator for four years before taking the Orangefield position in June.

"It just happens to be Bridge City," said Smalley, who graduated from Bridge City in 1994. "If it was Hamshire-Fannett, Hardin-Jefferson or the Dallas Cowboys and we had to beat them to get into the playoffs, you'd try to win. It just happens to be Bridge City, like somebody upstairs was having fun with us this year."

Smalley faced Bridge City in 2006 and 2007 as Orangefield's offensive coordinator, but this will be the first time he looks across the sidelines as a head coach and sees familiar faces. Many of the seniors Smalley will square off against tonight had been coached by him since they were freshmen.

"I know a lot of those (Bridge City) kids very well," Smalley said. "Well enough that I still keep in contact with some of them and it's a strange feeling because you still care about them. You don't stop caring about kids because you move jobs. I still want what's best for them, just not on (this) Friday night. It's a strange situation and definitely adds some excitement to the game."

Bridge City senior Tanner Cervenka was one of those players under Smalley's tutelage since his freshman year.

"I've been thinking about it all year, like what if it came down to this and it has," Cervenka said. "This is the craziest scenario."